Lower Back and Stomach Pain: Possible Causes and Treatments

Lower back and stomach pain is an unpleasant and worrying experience for any person. Because there are a number of organs in the abdominal and lower back area, there are many different reasons for having pain there. Pain in the stomach and lower back can be caused by constipation, stones in the kidney or gallbladder, or a cyst. However, sometimes the pain could be a sign of a more serious condition like appendicitis or even a heart attack.

Lower back and abdominal pain should never be ignored. Some home remedies can help you find relief from some of the symptoms of lower abdomen and back pain. However, if your symptoms last for more than a few days, or you experience intense or severe pain in your stomach and back, you should visit your doctor for a checkup. This is especially true if the pain is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, severe cramps, or pains in your chest.

Advertisement

Let’s look at the different reasons why you can experience lower back and stomach pain. This will help you find the root cause of your pain and discomfort and discover if there are any natural home remedies to give you relief.

Constipation

A common reason for lower back and abdominal pain is constipation. You can suffer from constipation when you are under stress, don’t consume enough fluids, if you have a low-fiber or an irregular diet, or consume a lot of processed foods. These factors can cause stools to become hard and they can be difficult to pass.

Constipation usually causes pain in your lower abdomen for most people, however, according to the charity Cancer Research UK, chronic constipation can also cause back pain along with abdominal pain.1 This happens because the buildup of hard stool presses on the nerves in your lower back, causing pain.

There are many natural remedies for constipation that can help to soften your stools to make them easier to pass.

One natural way to find relief from constipation and get rid of your pain is to consume coconut oil. Coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) and studies have shown that MCFAs can help to speed up metabolism and this will help you to be more “regular.”2

Mix 1 tsp. unrefined virgin coconut oil with 8-oz. glass of herbal tea and drink 30 minutes before each meal. Make sure to have 3-4 glasses of the coconut oil remedy each day to help find relief from the painful symptoms of constipation.

Advertisement

Castor oil is a natural laxative which will help to get your bowels moving. According to WebMD, castor oil increases the movement of the intestines, helping you to pass stools easier.3 To find out how to take castor oil for constipation, please read my article on the many different natural remedies for constipation. There you will also find other helpful ideas on how to relieve constipation naturally.

Kidney Stones

Kidney stones can cause severe and intense pain in the lower abdomen and back. Kidney stones are small mineral deposits that can form inside your kidney. They usually pass out when urinating, but sometimes surgery is required to remove them.

Use apple cider vinegar to get rid of kidney stones and ease the pain in the lower abdomen and back. Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid which can help to break down the stones in your kidney. One study into acetic acid found that it dissolved kidney stones.5

Acetic acid also plays another role in helping to get rid of kidney stones – it becomes alkaline in the body. Research has shown that kidney stones form when there is too much acid in the body.6

To help dissolve kidney stones and get rid of the lower back and stomach pain that they cause, mix 1-2 tsp. apple cider vinegar in an 8 oz. glass of water. Drink frequently throughout the day until you think that the kidney stone has gone.

You can also use apple cider vinegar to prevent kidney stones forming. To do this, you should get into the daily habit of drinking a large glass of water with 1-2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar mixed in it. This will help to balance your body’s pH levels and prevent more kidney stones forming.

Dr. Thompson explains that gallstones form when cholesterol and other substances become hard stones in the gallbladder. Eating well-balanced meals and maintaining a healthy weight are some practical ways to prevent gallstones forming.

Advertisement

Drinking lemon juice is one natural method to help dissolve gallstones and relieve the constant pain in your back and stomach. The citric acid in lemon help to dissolve gallstones and flush toxins out of the liver. To use the lemon water remedy for gallstones, squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon into an 8 oz. glass of warm water. Drink one glass of lemon water first thing in the morning and one in the evening to help get rid of gallstones. Do this every day for relief from the discomfort of stomach and lower back pain that gallstones cause.

Ovarian Cyst

Ovarian cysts can form on one or both of the ovaries and are small sacs filled with fluid. Usually, they don’t cause women any discomfort but if they rupture or become large, ovarian cysts can cause lower abdomen and back pain and may cause cramping but no period.

Endometriosis

Pain and infertility are the 2 most common symptoms of endometriosis. Some of the symptoms of endometriosis are pain in the abdomen and back, pain when passing stools or urinating, or during intercourse.

Endometriosis is a condition in which the lining of the womb grows outside of it. According to Dr. Sarah Marshall on WebMD, the endometrial tissue on the outside of the womb also bleeds during the menstrual cycle. However, because it has nowhere to go, it causes inflammation and swelling in the surrounding tissues.9 This can cause severe cramps, pelvic pain, and lower back pain just before your menstrual period.10

You can get some abdominal and lower back pain relief by placing a hot water bottle on the painful area or taking a warm bath.

You should let your doctor or gynecologist know if you experience severe pelvic pain and heavy bleeding during your menstrual period.

Appendicitis

A dull pain in your lower abdomen that becomes more intense and painful could be the first sign of appendicitis. The other symptoms of inflammation of the appendix are a loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, fever, and abdominal swelling.

According to Dr. Melinda Ratini on WebMD, even though the appendix pain is usually on the right side of your abdomen, appendicitis can also cause sharp pain in the stomach and back.11

Acute appendicitis requires prompt medical attention to make sure of a full recovery. You should call a doctor immediately if you suspect that you have appendicitis.

The symptoms of PMS aren’t just connected with lower abdomen and back pain. According to the Office on Women’s Health in the U.S., PMS can cause fatigue, headaches, food cravings, breast swelling, and mood swings. One or more of the symptoms affect up to 85% of all women during their menstrual cycle.12

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can cause lower abdomen cramps and low back pain which can range from mild ‘grumbling’ to severe pain. Pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection of the womb, usually caused by a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Some of the other symptoms are abnormal vaginal discharge, fever as well as ovary pain.

Dr. Tim Kenny on Patient.info advises seeing a doctor if you have symptoms of PID because, if left untreated, it can cause you to become infertile and you could infect your partner with an STD.13

Pelvic congestion syndrome

Pelvic congestion syndrome is a common cause of deep and chronic lower abdomen pain and back pain in childbearing women. The pain is often described as ‘heavy’ or ‘dull’ ache and it usually gets worse during the day especially when standing. 20

According to OB/GYN Dr. Traci C. Johnson, pelvic congestion happens when veins of the pelvis become enlarged, swollen or dilated like varicose veins.21

Pelvic pain and lower back pain that starts 7-10 days before your period

The lower abdomen pain is worse when you sit or stand

Lying down relieves the pelvic pain

Usually, the pain is a dull ache, but it may be sharp or throbbing

Heart Attack

Severe pain in the chest that spread to the arms, neck, and jaw is one of the classic symptoms of a heart attack. However, heart attacks can also cause abdominal pain with nausea and back pain.

The NHS in the United Kingdom stresses that not all severe chest pains are a sign that a person is having a heart attack. The pain can be mild and mistaken for heartburn. The person may also feel lightheaded, dizzy, sweat a lot, and start wheezing.14

Advertisement

If you have any concerns that you or someone else is having a heart attack, you should call the emergency services immediately.

Diverticulitis

Along with pain in the lower part of the stomach, gastrointestinal specialist Dr. Subodh K. Lal says that severe back pain can also be associated with diverticulitis. If you experience sudden pain in your lower stomach and back, have blood in your stools and a fever, you should call a doctor.14

Abdominal aortic aneurysm

The aorta is the main blood vessel that supplies the body with blood. An aneurysm (excessive enlargement of an artery due to weakening of the artery wall) that forms in the abdominal region can cause deep, constant abdominal and back pain. If the pain becomes severe, it’s important to seek professional medical help.

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic say that men over the age of 65 and are, or were, heavy smokers are more at risk from an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

If you are concerned about a kidney infection, you should call your doctor to arrange for a check-up and tests.

Prostatitis

A bacterial infection can also cause chronic prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland) which results in pelvic and lower back pain. Prostatitis may result in symptoms similar to having a kidney or urinary tract infection.

Urologist Dr. Jennifer Sobol says that it’s important to treat prostatitis properly and that usually antibiotics are needed to treat prostate infections. During this time, it’s important to drink plenty of fluids and use warm compress or bath to help ease the pain and discomfort.

Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancies are life-threatening to the mother. Associate professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Dr. Irina Burd says that it’s important to see your healthcare provider if you think you may be pregnant and experience abnormal vaginal bleeding with pain around your abdomen and lower back.

RELATED ARTICLES

One Response to Lower Back and Stomach Pain: Possible Causes and Treatments

Burning when passing pee and fever and headache and back pains when making movement, antibiotics for three days but still on back and tried;,before poo blood in stole and after three days all this started,,into antibiotics zaha-500,azithromycin tab 500.cefuroxime axetil tab 500mg.ciprofloxacin tab.500mg.and paracetamol pains.but it be kidney stones;but I feels is uti or can it gastritis just confused:thanks.